Near Horsforth test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 7 roundabouts, 14 turns and 3 signalled junctions across 27 navigation steps.
This is an independent 32.4 km practice loop near Horsforth test centre, taking roughly 40 min to drive. It is NOT an official DVSA examiner route, the DVSA does not publish those, but it uses the same local roads and junction types an examiner is likely to choose.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, national-speed roads, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads and independent driving. Driving it a few times before your test builds the muscle memory that frees up attention for observation and decision-making on the day.
The loop is anchored by 20 catalogued landmarks, including churches, stations, shops and schools, so you can navigate it from recognisable features rather than a memorised turn list. Rehearsing it in this way means that on test day the area already feels familiar, and your attention is free for the traffic rather than the map.
Whatever the route, your practical test follows the same national shape: an eyesight check, a couple of vehicle-safety questions, around forty minutes of general driving, one reversing manoeuvre chosen by the examiner, and roughly twenty minutes of independent driving following signs or a sat-nav. Practising on roads like these is how you make each of those elements feel routine rather than new.
Treat this route as practice, not a script. The value is not in repeating one fixed sequence but in getting comfortable with the road types, speed changes and junction patterns of the area around Horsforth test centre, so that whatever order your examiner chooses on the day, none of it is unfamiliar. Drive it a few times, focus on smooth observation and planning, and it becomes one more stretch of road you already know, which is exactly the kind of preparation that turns nerves into confidence.
If you are practising with a supervising driver rather than an instructor, take it steadily: agree the manoeuvre spots in advance, keep to a comfortable pace, and stop to talk through anything that felt rushed. And remember the basics that apply on every road, mirrors before any change of speed or direction, signals in good time, and a following distance that gives you room to react. Those habits travel with you long after the test is passed.
What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.
This route helps you practise:
Road mix
The full 93-step drive on real, named roads (about 32.3 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southwest on Springfield Gardens.
Springfield Gardens72 m
Turn left onto Back Low Lane.
Back Low Lane52 m
Turn left onto Springfield Mount.
Springfield Mount24 m
Turn right onto Low Lane.
Low Lane334 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Low Lane.
38 m
Exit the roundabout onto Low Lane.
Low Lane214 m
Turn left to stay on Low Lane.
Low Lane1.1 km
Turn left onto Spen Lane.
Spen Lane250 m
Turn right onto West Park Drive.
West Park Drive115 m
Turn right onto North Parade.
North Parade83 m
Turn right onto Arncliffe Road.
Arncliffe Road139 m
Turn left onto Spen Lane.
Spen Lane176 m
Turn right onto Butcher Hill.
Butcher Hill77 m
Turn right onto Moor Grange View.
Moor Grange View265 m
Turn right onto West Park Drive.
West Park Drive107 m
Turn left onto Spen Lane.
Spen Lane175 m
Turn right onto Spen Road.
Spen Road128 m
Turn left onto Spen Gardens.
Spen Gardens75 m
Turn left onto Spen Drive.
Spen Drive53 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Spen Drive.
Spen Drive53 m
Turn left onto Spen Gardens.
Spen Gardens71 m
Turn left onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
A6120311 m
Make a right U-turn at Parkstone Avenue to stay on A6120/Ring Road West Park.
A6120617 m
Enter Lawnswood Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A660/Otley Road.
Lawnswood Roundabout7 m
Exit the roundabout onto A660/Otley Road.
A660471 m
Make a right U-turn at Lawnswood Gardens to stay on A660/Otley Road.
A660472 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
90 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6120/Ring Road West Park. Continue on A6120.
A61201.7 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A6120/Ring Road.
97 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6120/Ring Road. Continue on A6120.
A61201.7 km
Enter Lawnswood Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A660/Otley Road.
Lawnswood Roundabout91 m
Exit the roundabout onto A660/Otley Road.
A660283 m
Turn right onto Weetwood Road.
Weetwood Road209 m
Turn left onto Weetwood Grange Grove.
Weetwood Grange Grove85 m
Turn left onto A660/Otley Road.
A660395 m
Enter Lawnswood Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A660/Otley Road.
Lawnswood Roundabout47 m
Exit the roundabout onto A660/Otley Road.
A6601.3 km
Turn right onto St Helen's Lane.
St Helen's Lane226 m
Turn right onto Adel Lane.
Adel Lane244 m
Turn right onto Woodlands Lane.
Woodlands Lane119 m
Turn right onto Lawnswood Crescent.
Lawnswood Crescent117 m
Turn right to stay on Lawnswood Crescent.
Lawnswood Crescent49 m
Turn left.
156 m
Move left onto Woodlands Grove.
Woodlands Grove51 m
Turn right onto A660/Otley Road.
A660179 m
Turn right onto St Helen's Lane.
St Helen's Lane832 m
Turn left onto Long Causeway.
Long Causeway133 m
Turn left to stay on Long Causeway.
Long Causeway690 m
Turn right onto Sir George Martin Drive.
Sir George Martin Drive855 m
Move left onto Long Causeway.
Long Causeway851 m
Turn right onto A6120/Ring Road Weetwood.
A6120888 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
54 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6120/Ring Road West Park. Continue on A6120.
A61201.7 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Low Lane.
62 m
Exit the roundabout onto Low Lane.
Low Lane83 m
Turn left onto Broadgate Lane.
Broadgate Lane1.3 km
Turn left onto Church Avenue.
Church Avenue265 m
Turn right onto Church Lane.
Church Lane233 m
Turn right onto Hall Park Avenue.
Hall Park Avenue44 m
Turn left onto Hall Park Rise.
Hall Park Rise164 m
Turn left onto Hall Park Avenue.
Hall Park Avenue194 m
Turn right onto Church Road.
Church Road477 m
Turn left towards Ring Road/Harrogate/Wetherby/York.
A61201.8 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A6120/Ring Road.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6120/Ring Road. Continue on A6120.
A61201.7 km
Enter Lawnswood Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A660/Otley Road.
Lawnswood Roundabout7 m
Exit the roundabout onto A660/Otley Road.
A660471 m
Make a right U-turn at Lawnswood Gardens to stay on A660/Otley Road.
A660472 m
Enter Lawnswood Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A660/Otley Road.
Lawnswood Roundabout131 m
Exit the roundabout onto A660/Otley Road.
A660219 m
Move left onto Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road806 m
Turn right onto New Adel Lane.
New Adel Lane275 m
Turn left onto New Adel Gardens.
New Adel Gardens61 m
Turn left onto New Adel Avenue.
New Adel Avenue59 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on New Adel Avenue.
New Adel Avenue59 m
Turn right onto New Adel Gardens.
New Adel Gardens61 m
Turn right onto New Adel Lane.
New Adel Lane276 m
Turn right onto Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road324 m
Turn left onto Iveson Drive.
Iveson Drive22 m
Turn right onto Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road219 m
Turn left onto Laith Road.
Laith Road226 m
Turn left onto Iveson Drive.
Iveson Drive146 m
Turn right onto Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road396 m
Turn right onto Spen Lane.
Spen Lane782 m
Turn left onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
A612042 m
Turn right onto Spen Lane.
Spen Lane632 m
Turn right onto Butcher Hill.
Butcher Hill1.1 km
Turn right onto Low Lane.
Low Lane217 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Low Lane.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Low Lane.
Low Lane332 m
Turn left onto Springfield Mount.
Springfield Mount24 m
Turn right onto Back Low Lane.
Back Low Lane26 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Horsforth · Route 5 loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.
These are the real named features along the loop, straight from our route catalogue. Use them to recognise where you are and to anticipate the hazard each one brings, not to memorise a fixed order.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Multiple roundabouts
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
Dual-carriageway join
About 15.3 km of this loop is dual carriageway. Build your speed on the slip road, take an effective rearward observation, and merge without forcing other traffic to brake.
Changing speed limits
Limits change across this route (20, 30, 40, 70 mph). Watch for repeater signs and adjust early, examiners mark you down for carrying the wrong speed into a new limit.
Residential streets
Narrow residential roads mean parked cars, pedestrians and reduced visibility. Cover the brake, keep your speed down and be ready to give way.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Church of St Andrew the Apostle, Moor Grange
Start near Church of St Andrew the Apostle, Moor Grange.
West Park United Reformed Church
Continue to West Park United Reformed Church.
Otley Road Otley Old Road
Continue to Otley Road Otley Old Road.
Ring Road West Park Otley Road
Continue to Ring Road West Park Otley Road.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Lawnswood School
Continue to Lawnswood School.
Otley Road Ring Road West Park
Continue to Otley Road Ring Road West Park.
Otley Road Lawns Hall Close
Continue to Otley Road Lawns Hall Close.
Otley Road Lawnswood Crematorium
Continue to Otley Road Lawnswood Crematorium.
Inspirations Nursery
Continue to Inspirations Nursery.
Adel Wood Stores
Continue to Adel Wood Stores.
Ring Road Weetwood Otley Road
Continue to Ring Road Weetwood Otley Road.
Broadgate Off Licence
Continue to Broadgate Off Licence.
Church Avenue North Broadgate Lane
Continue to Church Avenue North Broadgate Lane.
Green Town Street
Continue to Green Town Street.
Horsforth Garden Shop
Continue to Horsforth Garden Shop.
Otley Old Road Spennithorpe Drive
Continue to Otley Old Road Spennithorpe Drive.
Otley Old Road Iveson Drive
Continue to Otley Old Road Iveson Drive.
Lucky Red
Continue to Lucky Red.
Woodside Stores
Finish back near Woodside Stores, completing the loop.
4 roundabouts · 19 turns · 1 set of lights
4 roundabouts · 19 turns · 1 set of lights
2 roundabouts · 21 turns · 1 set of lights
2 roundabouts · 18 turns
This route is 32.4 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Horsforth test centre, not an official DVSA route.